rewrite this content and keep HTML tags
There was immense buzz surrounding the then-Iowa Hawkeye point guard Caitlin Clark’s entry into the WNBA. From becoming the all-time leading scorer in NCAA history (across both men’s and women’s divisions) to being the driving force behind Iowa’s back-to-back appearances in the women’s national championship game, fans couldn’t wait to see her bring that same dominance to the WNBA.
There were some doubts as to how the college phenom would fare in her transition to the professional level. Legendary UConn coach Geno Auriemma called Clark’s fanbase “delusional” for thinking the rookie would waltz into the WNBA and “tear the league apart.” Phoenix Mercury veteran Diana Taurasi echoed similar sentiments, stating bluntly, “Reality is coming,” when asked about Clark and other rookies making the leap from college to the pros.
Taurasi, while once a skeptic, now appears to be a believer. During Sunday’s episode of The Bird & Taurasi Show, co-host Sue Bird asked the newly retired Phoenix Mercury guard what it was like to share the court with Caitlin Clark, who was also a guest on the show. Taurasi had nothing but praise, responding, “It really was an amazing moment.”
With Caitlin Clark on, Diana Taurasi tells her and Sue Bird how “amazing” it was to play her in the #WNBA last season.
“If you could play anyone in this new generation, I got to cross paths with Caitlin.”
🎥 @TWDTV1 pic.twitter.com/XnJ5uGMUQS
— Andrew Jerell Jones, Luke 1:37 (BlueSky too now) (@sluggahjells) April 6, 2025
She continued, “If you get to play with anyone that is this new generation… I got to play with Caitlin,” and goes on to state, “I want the season to start so I can watch you again.”
One can only imagine how impactful those words were for the young star, who grew up admiring WNBA legends like Taurasi and was admittedly starstruck in their first matchup. This felt like a passing of the torch moment between Taurasi and Clark.
